EDITORIAL – The 38th Annual Atlanta Film Festival went on from Friday, March 28th to Sunday, April 6th, 2014. Apart from the obvious wonderful films which were shown, the Festival also included many instructional and educational features, interviews with the film making men and women in the Atlanta area, and Q&A periods after many films in which the audience could converse with the film’s directors/producers/screenwriters.

With a Movie Hopper Pass, one was able to see all of the festival’s films, and was allowed into various happy hours and Q&A periods. Although, I’ve not seen many, the “film shorts” were some of my favorite films which were shown and, I feel, are one of the most amazing types of films to be made in the industry. Short films, although only 10 to 20 minutes long, still offer vivid emotion, realistic story lines, and irresistible popcorn breaks. One of my favorite shorts I saw was one which was not only made by an Atlanta director, but was made right here in Atlanta. An underdog film, Thomas Bennett, was a short documentary which delved inside the life of an older gentleman whom one, honestly, would probably have never spoken to until Nathan Honnold proved that not only does everyone has a story to tell, everyone deserves to tell it.

The Atlanta Film Festival was a community of people in which I’ve never felt more at home. This event gave me a chance to not only see and take part in an enlightening film experience, it also allowed to meet and connect with other film enthusiasts. Although the event may have been considered small by some, for me it was a joyful, eye-opening experience which will continue to create an intimate, ever-changing definition of moving art and I highly suggest going next year if you didn’t get to come this year. However, if you didn’t get the chance to go, or if you’re like me and didn’t get a chance to see all the films you wished to see, I’ve been told at the festival most of the films are available on Comcast’s On Demand Network.